Thread by @mfphhh

Why Elon Musk is agitating against refugees,
wants to undermine financial and military support for Ukraine,
and thus tries to influence US & German domestic politics?

An explanatory model for this dangerous development: 🧵
1 /18

What happened.
Musk is actively interfering in the U.S. budget debate, supporting call by some right-wing Republicans to force a shutdown of the U.S. government if it continues to support Ukraine.
This comes amid a series of remarks Musk has made against supporting Ukraine.
2/18

As an argument against supporting Ukraine, Musk cites an alleged "invasion" of refugees against which the U.S. must first defend itself before supporting other countries.

He thus deliberately triggers a far-right agenda.
3/18

Musk posted a 15-minute video from a Texas border crossing claiming that the U.S. is being overrun by dangerous immigrants (mentioning alleged murderers entering the U.S.) due to the Biden administration's alleged "open door policy."
But do these claims match the facts?
4/18

In fact, Biden sought to reduce incentives for illegal border crossings by cracking down more on illegal border crossings and making orderly, legal entry easier to a small degree.
Here's the background:
5/18
cfr.org/article/bidens…

It didn't stop there.
Musk also jumped on the European refugee debate by circulating a far-right Italian tweet claiming the German government was funding rescue ships in the Mediterranean and promoting far-right German party AfD, that is backed by Kremlin.
6/18

In response to German Foreign Ministry's brief comment that these rescue ships are saving lives -as required by international law- Musk continued to ramble on about an
"invasion"
which was not wanted by the German people
and therefore German gov should be voted out of office
7/18

Where does this focus Musk has on immigration and purposeful interference in U.S. and German domestic politics come from?

And how is this related to his call to end financial and military support for Ukraine?
8/18

We know from the Discord leaks published in April that Russia plans to conduct massive disinformation campaigns this fall against Ukraine's main supporting countries:
USA and Germany.

To destabilize their governments.
One main propaganda narrative: "threat of refugees".
9/18

Behind this is a Russian strategy, which US and British strategists like @KeirGiles call "Polycrisis".

First to destabilize Africa via food shortages and Wagner Group supported coups, and then to destabilize Europe with a refugee crisis.
10/18

@KeirGiles An artificially amplified cascade of crises in the West, at the end of which far-right, authoritarian governments will come to power,
who abolish democracy and human rights.

And thus function as more suitable "partners" for Russia's and China's regimes.
11/18

@KeirGiles But why is Musk actively participating in this Russian propaganda campaign?

Speculation:
a Western elite of super-rich like Musk have grown tired of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.
Things they call “bureaucracy"
that restrict their freedom and power too much.
12/18

@KeirGiles What it means for us:
People like Musk don't give a damn about workers' rights, occupational safety and environmental standards.
As this investigation worth seeing shows, abysmal safety standards prevail at the sealed-off Tesla plant in Grünheide/GER
13/18
rtl.de/cms/stern-inve…

@KeirGiles Any other company in Germany would get into serious trouble with occupational safety authorities and trade unions if serious accidents happened there so often.

But the investigation shows that in Musk's case, German authorities and politicians are reluctant to take action.
14/18

@KeirGiles So it mean for us:
We are in danger of losing long-fought civil rights if brutal billionaires and Russian influence bring easily bribable and controllable but unscrupulous populist parties to power,
like in Germany the AfD or a future Wagenknecht party to power.
15/18

@KeirGiles And we now also see how the war in Ukraine directly affects us in the US and Europe.

The same principles are at stake:
A brutal “law of the jungle” shall be established in Ukraine and here,
which undermines international law, human rights and democracy.
16/18

@KeirGiles The development is very dangerous.
How long do we want to stand by and watch?

If the U.S. does not succeed in containing players like Musk (in the past, there were effective breakups of too powerful corporations in the U.S.), we in Europe must at least draw a red line.
17/18

@KeirGiles It is unacceptable that the owner of a platform like Twitter -which is also important for European debates- uses misinformation and agitation to make "election recommendations" for European countries.
We need enforcement of European law.

Or alternative European platforms
18/18